Dramatic images from around the world this Monday 26 July, with more floods in Europe and a massive standstorm in China, but first, a landslide in India.
Landslide in Northern India
The impact of a landslide was seen most dramatically on the other side of the hill. Massive boulders were sent hurling down the mountain. Nine people were killed after boulders hit their minivan. Amazingly, residents whipped out their phones to film the incident, rather than fleeing to safety. It was only a matter of time before the Batseri bridge was destroyed. The falling rocks also damaged nearby vehicles. Rescue teams rushed to the scene, but apart from the people killed in the minivan, only one other person was injured.
“Worst Floods in Decades”
Barely 10 days after floods hit southeast Belgium, killing 37 people, a flashflood hit the southern town of Dinant this weekend. It was the heaviest flooding the town has seen in decades. It was prompted by a two-hour thunderstorm which turned streets into torrential streams. Fortunately no-one was killed. The nearby town of Anhee suffered similar damage, with estimates predicted to be “significant”.
Wall of Sand Engulfs Chinese City
And, it looked like something out of a Hollywood blockbuster, but for residents of the northwest Chinese city of Dunhang, it was terrifyingly real. A 100m high wall of sand wreaked havoc on Sunday afternoon. It engulfed the local expressway in seconds and turned the sky orange. Visibility was reduced to less than five metres. Local traffic police ordered stranded vehicles to limp off the expressway and stop in service areas. There were no reported injuries.